E noho rā'

All good things come to an end, and so too, has our stay in New Zealand.
Husband has accepted an offer too good to refuse, so we will be relocating across the ditch to Australia, back where it all started.
It's with mixed feelings that we say e noho rā' to Aeotearoa, and for now, I will still be blogging about our adventures there whenever I get time or inspiration.
In the meantime, thanks for reading, and for your wonderful comments - I love them all.
Happy 2010!

A Very Aussie Christmas

So, how was your Christmas?

We enjoyed an Aussie Bush Christmas, with loads of family and friends, just as it should be.

My siblings, parents and I were together for the first time in years, plus we had loads of extended family and friends around as well.

My sister and hubby were our gracious hosts, and as usual, they went all out to ensure everyone were comfortable, fed and watered. (Or alcohol-ed. Though I think I may have just made that word up).

The kids spent most of the time in the pool, playing with their cousins, and eating and drinking far too little.

While the adults spent most of the time OUT of the pool, and eating and drinking far too much.

Just as well Christmas comes but once a year!

Christmas Eve was spent, in the main street of Wondai, for the 60th annual Christmas Street Carnival.

Each year, we say never again; Each year, we go again anyway. There are the ham and turkey wheels, the merry-go-round and jumping castle, plus free ice-blocks for the kids from Santa. Not to mention the drinks at the RSL a bit later. Hey, it's tradition!

On Christmas morning, it's church, again in Wondai. This year, Uncle O. was the layreader, and we giggled as one of his grandchildren yelled out: 'Hello Pop!' Then it was back to L and O's for champagne, pina coladas, and beer ... and mountains of food.

L's special muscat-glazed baked ham, barbecued chickens, prawns, bugs, crabs and loads of salads. Then unmentionable desserts.

All washed down with good Aussie wine and beer, plus softies for the kids and the drivers.

The next morning, we enjoyed a barbie breakfast on the deck at my parents' home, before taking the long drive back to Brisbane, and discovering that Santa had visited Nana too!

Much to my surprise, I discovered the kids had been Very Good all year after all.

Ah ... it's the magic of Christmas.

(Pic: Santa and a Very Special Reindeer, photo courtesy of Husband).

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

Boxing day, 2008

I admit it: I've been slack.

I know I haven't blogged lately, and I have a couple of cameras worth of shots to upload. But I have two words for you: Blame Santa.

Yes, the time for end of year/Christmas craziness has well and truly fallen upon the Aussies in Auckland, and I've not had a moment to blog. Or shop. Or do much of anything apart from work and kid-wrangling. Oh, and shouting.

We've been too busy! There have been carols by candlelight, nights out, summer festivals, parties, Santa parades, school break-ups, and more ...

And forget about Christmas shopping. (I'm thinking Santa is going to need more than a few little helpers this year...)!

Anyway, I will post about all the fab things we've been enjoying in and around Auckland, as soon as I get time. But in the meantime, I would love to wish you and yours all the best for the festive season.

This year, we're heading home to Australia to spend our Christmas with family.

I loved Christmas in Auckland last year. The flaming pohutakawa trees, the Franklin Road lights, the near-empty and not-boiling-hot beaches, and the fact that Auckland empties out over the holidays.

But we did miss our family and friends, so it will be nice to share the festivities with them this year.

Merry Christmas to all my dear readers and followers and thanks for your comments and emails during the year.

I hope Santa is kind to you and that you're not feeling quite as stressed as I am!

Why are we here?

If I had a New Zealand dollar for every time a local said: “You’ve left Australia to come here? Usually it’s the other way around”, I’d have enough money to fill my car up with petrol.
Maybe twice.
New Zealanders seem fascinated by our reasons for moving here, but as it happens, we’re far from unusual.
According to today’s New Zealand Herald, 77,000 Austalians permanently left the Big Brown Land in 2007-8, 18.4 per cent of them for the Land of the Long White Cloud (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10536227)
So what’s the attraction?
For us, there were several.
First, my husband was offered a fabulous job here with a great company that could give him excellent experience, of a kind that he wouldn’t be able to get in Queensland. He could have, of course, experienced that in Melbourne, Sydney, or Canberra, but we liked the idea of moving further afield.
Financially, it was a decent opportunity, but it wasn’t about the money. It was more about the chance for an enriching family experience.
We thought long and hard about it. We hated the thought of taking the kids out of their fantastic school, and moving away from family and friends.
We hated the idea of packing up our home of 8 years, sifting through all the crap we’ve collected over the years, and finding another one overseas.
But Auckland is just across the ditch after all, and flights are relatively inexpensive.
And, as we’ve found, there are good schools here too, and the kids have settled in quite happily.
There is no major language barrier (though I’m still getting to grips with Maori, and I suck at pronunciation and spelling!). Even the cuisine, driving, and lifestyle are all very similar.
As for me, as a writer and journalist, I’ve worked from home for most of my career. Thanks to the internet, I can file stories just as easily from Auckland as from Brisbane, and as a bonus, it makes staying in touch with loved ones easy.
And Kyle and I have always loved to travel, and the cost of a family – though priceless – had severely clipped our wings.
We saw a relocation overseas as an opportunity for all of us to experience life in another culture, to see more of the fabulous world we live in, and I believe, bond more as a family.
Certainly, as expats often do when they live in another country, we’re likely to see more of this land than we would have of our own had we been back home.
And yes, we’re spending more money doing that – but we’re also enjoying more quality family time together too.
Because we’re renting, we spend weekends sightseeing and going places rather than mowing the lawn, cleaning the pool, and maintaining the house – even if it’s just a walk in the park across the road!
I have one toilet and one bathroom to clean, rather than three and two respectively. We have one car instead of two. Our lives feel cleaner, simpler.
The other day, C – who had raised the most objections when we discussed the move – said in surprise: “I think I like it better here than I do in Australia”.
As a loyal Queenslander, I probably wouldn’t go quite that far just yet, but certainly, there is plenty to like.
And these Aussies in Auckland have no regrets.